"Becky Adlington's unforgettable success in Beijing inspired a generation to get in the pool and swim," he said.

"Her down-to-earth personality and remarkable career achievements have made her a national treasure."

BOA chief Executive Andy Hunt added: "Through her remarkable talent and tireless work ethic, Becky Adlington has set a standard of excellence that future generations of Team GB athletes will aspire to reach.

"She represents the very best of what British sport, and the Olympic movement, are all about."

Adlington said in September that she would not compete
at the Rio Olympics in 2016
, feeling that as a 27-year-old she would be too old to be competitive.

She says that her work outside the pool has taken on a greater significance, and that she no longer has the same motivation to compete at elite level.

"I had to look at things, take a break and see how I felt when I came back. It didn't feel the same getting back into training and it felt like time," she said.

"I hate the words 'retired' so I don't want to say it because I would never retire from swimming all together, but as an elite athlete I wont be competing any more and I won't be at the World Championships this year."

"I want to launch my own learn to swim programme and I've always said that if I've inspired one kid to get in the pool then it would make my year and hopefully I can continue to do that," she said.

Analysis

Gordon FarquharBBC sports news correspondent

"As unpretentious as beans on toast, but with a cordon bleu talent, the retiring Becky Adlington has been a huge asset to British Swimming in her short career. Her expressed desire now is to carry on working in the sport, with the goal of getting every child in Britain into a pool and able to swim 25m by the time they leave primary education. Ambitious, but she has the clout and charisma to help make it happen."

She believes that
the appointment of her former coach Bill Furniss
as the new head coach at British Swimming will improve the relationship between athletes and the governing body, and hopes to work with Furniss mentoring future elite swimmers.

"He knows enough about the sport and has been on so many teams that he's seen it all first-hand, so if there was anyone suitable for the role it is him," she said.

"Hopefully I'll still have a relationship with him where I can pass on my perspective as a swimmer.

"I'd love to stay involved in all sorts of ways. Hopefully I can help the younger guys coming up because I have been through it all."

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Comments

on the subject of age unfortunately 23 is already quite old for a female elite swimmer. Of the 13 individual golds on offer in the London Olympics, ten were won by swimmers under the age of 23. Ledecky, Meilutyte, Shiwen, and Missy Franklin were only 15, 15, 16 and 17 years old respectively. Even the great Michael Phelps dropped the 400 medley becasue the training was too punishing.

Rebecca..what a wonderful advert for good sportsmanship and humility. Forget the detractors.. you achieved what 99.9% of the population can only ever dream about. Be proud if your achievements and be confident that the next steps in your career will be just as satisfying and rewarding. Well done...what's lady.

To those who criticise Adlington but complain about funding of British competitors who have no chance of winning medals.

Adlington can see who her competition will be in the next four years and does not feel she will be a medal contender so has retired. She could have continued to take funding based on past reputation but her decision means the money can be used to help her successor.

A wise head on such young shoulders. I say good luck Becky, I'm sure we haven't heard the last from you and it's clear you have a lot more to do and say. Ruffle a few feathers, it might just prompt the right kind of reaction. Thanks for the pride you brought to us.

#14- I agree that she has been great for British swimming. However, US swimming survives on membership fees of hobbyists (olympians don't receive government funding). It annoys me that this is the top comment. Spouted off something unfactual as fact and because it makes us look good (making us out as the little people doing extraordinary things) and belittles the USA's achievements, people love it

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